Bought this one a while back and have been very satisfied with it. Just like a few others on here mentioned, quality can be a bit fuzzy when not using a tripod but it still pretty decent. Would not be my first choice to recommend to a professional but definitely great to start out with and learn.

You can create fantastic photos with this lens. It is very, very limited in what it can do from a technical standpoint, but it will let you take shots you couldn't otherwise get without a telephoto. Just because some snooty photog thinks you need a $1000 IS L series to take a picture of a squirrel in a tree, does not mean you should sell your house for camera equipment. Shenanigans. If you are an amateur, and can't spend $1000, buy this, and use a tripod. When you reach the limits of the abilities of your equipment, then consider the upgrade. This is not useful as a macro lens, and you will not be pointing it downward for long periods of time. The lens creep shouldn't affect you. Spend money on the lens you use most. This is not likely to be it. This is a fine entry-level lens. Not only that, but if you hate it within 90 days... Just to prove I'm not being a complete smart-alec, I slapped this lens on a 20D body and shot this squirrel through my bedroom window. And that's a jpeg compressed to 130kb...

I just picked up this lens yesterday. Took it to my son's picture day for football and enjoyed using it. I am what I'd call an advanced amateur and this was my first lens purchase. I primarily shoot people so I find the depth of field this lens offers nice. Can't complain about the zoom either as I can now take photos of my kid on the field and get a lot closer to the action. I've read complaints about this lens being a bit slow to focus and I concur in isolated instances like lower light conditions and really close subjects. Be reminded that different lenses provide very different benefits and advantages. I've taken amazing photos with the simplest of equipment and have screwed up a lot photos with top of the line equipment used improperly. All and all, this lens was a great value and should be a staple in every novices bag ---

"Perspective" and "Context" are the key words here. In the context of 154 dollars this lens totally rocks. From the perspective of someone who's livelihood does not depend on a camera (ie a non-professional) and who cannot afford to drop 500+ bucks for a lens this thing gets me very close to what a professional with a 500+ dollar lens can get in exchange for a little more patience and a tripod. Note: I did not say it gets me exactly what a pro with a 500+ lens can get -- the reviews I've seen are reasonably accurate, though in my opinion a bit harsh; c'mon, it's a 154 dollar lens... Okay, so what can I offer you of value? Well I can say that I have in fact gotten some very clear shots at full zoom without a tripod in exchange for having to take about three blurred shots for every sharp one (tip: try using burst for this, I've had splendid results). I can also say that I've had good luck with low light conditions. To be fair I'll add that I'm using a Canon EOS Rebel Xsi and it's a camera that does very well in less than ideal lighting conditions (I highly recommend CPL and UV filters - they help get the light you want to the electronics, reduce the light you don't want, and thereby yielding lower noise low light shots). For bad low light results on still objects - blame the camera not the lens. If the subject is moving in low light then yes, it's true a more expensive lens with faster focus and stabilization will yield usable results where this lens may not, no matter what camera you use. Ask yourself these questions: 1.) Does my livelihood depend on my camera(s)? 2.) Am I photographing more than 10 percent of my shots in less than ideal lighting? 3.) Are a significant portion of my shots going to be of subjects in motion? 3.) Can I afford to spend more than 500 bucks? If you answered yes to at least two of those questions then this lens is not for you - spend the extra money and get the extra quality and user-friendliness. If you answered yes to any one of those questions then this might be a good spare lens to have handy but not a primary. If you answered no to all questions and you have a little patience (see note about using burst to get about 1 in 4 sharp shots at full zoom w/out a tripod - results will vary based on lightening and caffeine) you can get some astounding shots for the price. Like say point it at Jupiter (for this you'll want a tripod) and notice you can cap it's brighter moons - it also takes very impressive base to peak / peak to base mountain shots if you can handle a little bit more expense for the CPL and UV filters (you should have these anyway if you're buying lenses that can use them, this one can, because they serve to protect the lens as much as they do to enhance the shots). I hope Canon makes versions of all their more expensive lenses for those of us on a budget. I do have the patience and I do shoot mostly still objects. For me this gets me very close (sometimes side-by-side) with the quality results achieved by professionals and were it not for these cost effective and well built (context - for 154 bucks the quality is outstanding). My only beef with this and some of Canons other lenses is the lack of a locking mechanism. It's not earth shattering and there are ways to pack lenses to keep things from moving, but a lock to keep things from moving while stored would have prompted me to give the overall rating that one final star. Good luck and remember - if you have to have 500 dollar quality and are gambling on 154 dollar items to deliver that quality consistently and in the same manner as a 500 dollar item - don't be so harsh when your expectations aren't met - you only push potential buyers away from products that some of us really enjoy and can actually afford (which tends to push manufacturers away from producing them).

For the price range you can complain. Definately not an indoor lens (with low light). Great for sunny, outdoor shooting. Park, zoo, great lens. I normally run manual mode when I shoot. Slow shooting in auto mode (not so slow that you will miss the shot). Pros: -Inexpensive -Good sharpness -Good Color -Awesome Zoom -Decent Focus (In Auto Mode) Cons: -No Image Stability (IS) -Not the greatest in lowlight (Not many zoom lenses are) -Cheap Build I do recommend if you want the extra zoom and are shooting outdoors.

Great lens for beginners because of its low price. It's also fairly light for its focal length. It can produce a few nice photos provided you know what you're doing. But that's about where the pros end. If you're looking for super-sharp professional quality images, you're going to have to look somewhere else. The focus is soft to begin with, but once you go over 200mm it gets dramatically worse. The Auto Focus has a lot of trouble with low-light situations, and is fairly picky while in AI Servo. Not to mention slow. I've had a couple instances where it took nearly 10 (ten) seconds to focus. There's also an issue with Chromatic Aberration. Everyone loves pincushioning and purple fraying around their subject, right? Anyway, aside from the soft focus, slow AF, and CA problems, the lack of the Image Stabilizer is truly the major downfall to this lens. I recommend using a tripod above 135mm, and I don't even attempt hand-shooting over 200mm after dozens of failed shots. For a superior quality lens with a similar focal length that doesn't break your bank, I recommend picking up the 55-250mm IS II instead.

I love this lens, takes great photos.

This lens was everything we expected from our research. Purchasing on Walmart also continues to be a good experience online.

This lense was given to me by a good friend. My hands shake a lot due to Essential Tremors. This lense does not have IS which makes it harder to use without a tripod. Other than that I'm glad to have this lense!

I got this lens with my Rebel XS kit. I have only used it twice, due to my extreme dislike of it. When zoomed in, anything that's white gets a blue ora around it. Not something I would recommend to a friend.